NATA Says SAFO Should Not Be Mandatory

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) said in a letter to the FAA last month that its Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) should not be mandatory. According to the association, language contained within the SAFOs might allow some FAA inspectors to think they are. Jacqueline Rosser, the association’s director of regulatory affairs, told AIN that while the FAA hasn’t informed any NATA members that they are in violation for not following an SAFO, “we have had problems in the past where well intentioned inspectors have tried to mandate compliance with other guidance documents [such as Advisory Circulars].” Specifically, the association’s concern is with a sentence at the top of every SAFO that says it might help with an operator’s “statutory duty” to provide service with the “highest possible degree of safety.” Rosser said NATA is asking the FAA to remove this sentence, thereby eliminating the confusion.